In a peer to peer wireless communications system multiple devices may desire to transmit traffic signals concurrently using the same air link resources. Scheduling users to an air link traffic resource in an efficient manner in a system lacking centralized control can be a challenging task. Accordingly, there is a need for efficient scheduling methods and apparatus.
It would be beneficial if methods and apparatus were developed which take in account interference implications of transmission scheduling decisions. A peer to peer wireless device could benefit, when making scheduling decisions, if a method and apparatus were developed which allowed it to be aware of the scheduling intentions of other peer to peer devices in the local vicinity.
In a decentralized wireless communications system in which a peer to peer device finds itself transmitting concurrently with different devices on a traffic air link resource from one interval to another, one would expect the achievable data rate for the peer to peer device may vary due to, for example, varying amounts of interference caused by other communications devices using a time slot concurrently with the device. It would be beneficial if methods and apparatus were developed which allowed a user to utilize prior concurrent user information and/or prior interval data rate information, when making a scheduling decision for a current interval.